Reclining chair fixture



Oct. 15, 1963 N. w. MIZELLE 3,107,117

RECLINING CHAIR FIXTURE Filed June 23, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 4

INVENTOR. NED W. MIZELLE ATTORNEYS Oct. 15, 1963 N. w. MIZELLE ,107,117

RECLINING CHAIR FIXTURE Filed June 2:, 1960 s Sheets-Sheet 3 INVEN TOR. -50 w. MIZELLE A TTORNE Y5 3,107,117 RECLG C FIXTURE Ned W. Mizelle, High Point, N.C., assignor, by mesne assignments, to General Steel Products, Inc., High Point, N.C., a corporation of North Carolina Filed lune 23, E950, ger- No. 38,366 Claims. (ill. 297-89) This invention relates to reclining chair fixtures, and more particularly to fixtures of the type in which a chair seat and leg rest are supported upon a stationary base for coordinated movement and in which the chair seat is capable of assuming at least three rest positions relative to the stationary base.

In the usual type of reclining chair fixture, the seat and leg rest are supported upon the base so that the seat may assume either a normal position upon the base with the leg rest retracted or a reclined position upon the base in which the leg rest is extended in leg supporting relationship with the seat. Recent developments in this field have been directed toward a fixture which provides a third rest position of the seat relative to the base in which the leg rest is extended in leg supporting relationship with the eat, but in which the seat is not fully reclined so that a person seated in the chair may comfortably observe things at normal eye level.

Requirements for fixtures of this type differ substantially from the usual reclining chair fixture in that the complete movement of the leg rest from its retracted position into leg supporting relationship with the chair must occur during a relatively small initial reclining movement of the chair seat. Once the leg rest is in its leg supporting relationship with the chair, further movement of the chair seat toward a fully reclined position should not disturb the seat-leg rest relationship. This requirement has basically resulted in a fixture employing a linkage which acts in two different phases and, in the usual case, has required the provision of sliding pivots about which a link swings pivotally during one phase and slides or is moved in translation during the other phase. This type of action has been found unsatisfactory, first, because of the grinding or unpleasant noise created by the sliding action of the pivot, and further by the instability of the action of the linkage at or close to the transition point between pivotal and sliding movement.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of the invention to provide a three position fixture of the type discussed above in which a leg rest may be shifted from full retracted relationship into leg supporting relationship with a chair seat and maintained in leg supporting relationship with the chair seat during further reclining movement of the chair.

It is another object of the invention to provide a linkage in accordance with the foregoing object wherein all links are connected to each other for relative pivotal movement only.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a reclining chair fixture of the type described above wherein a compound link is connected to act in one phase to extend the leg rest into leg supporting relationship with the chair and to act in a second phase to maintain the leg rest in substantially fixed relationship with the chair seat during reclining movement of the chair.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent by reference to the following specification taken in conjunction with the application drawings.

in the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of one form of fixture embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the linkage of FIG. 1 with certain parts broken away or omitted to show further details of the fixture of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the linkage of FIG. 1 taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

3,l?,ll7 Patented Got. 15, 1.963

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the linkage of FIG. 1 showing the linkage in the position assumed when the chair is in an intermediate or semi-reclined position;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the fixture taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a detail cross-sectional view taken on line 6-6 of PEG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the linkage of PEG. 1 in its fully reclined position;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the linkage taken on line 8-8 of FIG. 7; and

FlG. 9 is a detail cross-sectional view taken on line 99 of FIG. 7.

Since the structure and overall appearance of reclining chair elements with which the invention is employed may vary widely, components of the reclining chair have been indicated only in a schematic manner in the drawings. The reclining chair with which the invention is employed consists of three basic elements, a stationary base B, a seat S and a leg rest L. The particular fixture disclosed in the drawings is for use in reclining chairs in which the chair back is rigidly fixed to the seat. Since the motion of the back is controlled by motion of the seat, the chair back has not been indicated in the drawings.

The fixture includes a base frame link 2% which is adapted to be attached or mounted in fixed relationship upon stationary base B as by screws 22. A seat frame link 24 is constructed to be attached in fixed relationship to chair seat S as by screws 26. At its rearward end, a rigid extension 28 is secured to seat link 24 as by rivets 3i and is supported upon the rearward end of base link 29 for movement about a fixed pivot 32 about which the chair seat pivots relative to the stationary base. When the seat S of the chair is supported upon its base B by the fixture disclosed in the drawings, the seat is capable of pivoting from a normal or upright position represented by the configuration of the fixture in FIG. 1 of the drawings and a fully reclined position represented by the configuration of the fixture in FIG. 7 of the drawings. In the normal reclining chair fixture, it is necessary to move the chair to the fully reclined position in order to shift the leg rest from the retracted position which it assumes when the chair is in its upright position into leg supporting relationship with the chair seat. The fixture disclosed in this application is especially devised so that the leg rest is shifted from its retracted position (FIG. 1) into leg supporting relationship with the chair seat during the initial portion of movement of the chair from its normal upright position toward its reclined position and is maintained in leg supporting relationship with the chair seat throughout the final portion of movement of the chair to its fully reclined position. This arrangement provides an intermediate position of the chair seat which may be best described as a semi-reclined position in which the chair is partially reclined and the leg rest is in leg supporting relationship to the seat. This position of the chair enables the occupant to sit in a relaxed position and yet still be able to comfortably observe objects at normal eye level. In recent years, reclining chair fixtures of this type have been frequently referred to as TV fixtures.

To control movement of the leg rest in the fore-going manner, the leg rest is supported and guided for movement relative to base link 24) and seat link 24 by a plurality of links pivotally interconnected between the seat link, base link and a leg rest link 34 which is adapted to be fixedly detached to leg rest L. The linkage includes a guide link 36 which is supported at one end by a fixed pivot 38 mounted on base link 20 at a location intermediate the ends of base link 2d. At its opposite end, guide link 36 is coupled by a pivot 40 to one end of a cross link 42 whose opposite end is connected by pivot 44 to one end of leg rest link 34. Cross link 42 is pivotally connected at an intermediate location to a second cross'link 48 by a pivot 50. The second cross link 48 is pivoted at one end to the forward end of seat link 24 by pivot 52 and, by virtue of this relationship, occupies a position within the linkage to function as a support link. To distinguish between cross link 42 and cross link 48, cross link 48 will hereinafter be referred to as support link 48.

At its opposite end, support link 48 is connected to a positioning link 54 by pivot 56. Positioning link 54 is connected at its upper end to leg rest link 34 by pivot 58.

A control link 60 is connected at one end to pivot 50, which interconnects support link 48' and cross link 42, and is connected at its opposite end to an actuating link 62 by pivot 64. Actuating link 62 is supported upon base link 20 for movement relative to base link 20 about a fixed pivot 66 located near the forward end of base link 20.

Movement of actuating link 62 about fixed pivot 66 is limited by the engagement between a fixed stop pin 68 rigidly mounted on base link 20 and a pair of abutment projections 70 and 72 formed on link 62. Abutments 70 and 72 define two spaced opposed end limits of pivotal movement of link 62 about fixed pivot 66. A tension spring 74 is connected between the lower arm 76 of link 62 and seat link 24 to normally resiliently bias link 62 about pivot 66 to engage abutment 70 with stop pin 68.

Links 48, 60 and 62 in effect may be considered as a compound link pivotally connected between the forward end of seat link 24 and the forward end of base link 20. In order to have this compound link perform in the desired manner, and abutment member 78 is fixedly mounted upon link 48 in a position wherein a projecting flange 80 on member 78 abuts the upper or forward side of link '60 during movement of the chair seat between the normal and'semi-reclined positions. A projecting flange 82 on link 60 projects transversely into the path of guide link 36 and, when seated in a notch 84in link 36 defines the fully reclined position of the fixture. Engagement between a flange 86 on abutment 78 and an edge'88 of leg rest link 34 provides a positive stop for the linkage in the normal position of the chair.

The action of the fixture may best be appreciated by following its movements between the normal position shown in FIG. 1, the semi-reclined position shown in FIG. 4 and the fully reclined position of FIG. 7.

Referring first to FIG. 1, when the chair seat is in its normal position, abutment flange 80 is firmly engaged with a side edge of link 60 and link 48 is inclined downwardly and rearwardly from the'forward end of seat link 24 so that the leg rest is drawn inwardly into a vertical position extending across the front of the chair. The leg rest is firmly held in this position by the abutment between flange 86 and edge 88 of leg rest link 34. In this position of the linkage, tension spring 74 biases actuating link 62 in a direction urging link 60 toward support link 48. Movement of link 60 in the foregoing direction is limited, however, because of the abutment between flange 80 and the support link. Because of the relationship of the linkage at this time links 60 and 48 act as a rigid unit having the same eifect as if link 48 were a bell crank pivoted to move about pivot 52 and having a rigid arm extending from pivot 52 to pivot 64. Links 48 and 60 are maintained in this relationship by the resilient biasing action of spring 74.

Thus, during the initial phase of movement of the fixture from the normal position of FIG. 1 into the semireclined position of FIG. 4, link 48 is rotated about pivot 52 to swing the leg rest from the fully retracted position shown in FIG. 1 into the leg supporting relationship with the chair seat indicated in FIG. 4. Tension spring 74 continuously forces pivot 64 toward support link 48 during movement of the fixture between its normal and semireclined positions, hence, during this portion of movement of the chair, the compound link defined by links 48, 60 and 62 acts in exactly the same fashion as it link 48 were a bell crank pivoted at pivot 52 and connected by its short arm to a pivot 64 on a link 62 pivoted on base link 20. During this portion of the movement, tension spring 74 acts to resiliently move actuating link 62 .from the initial position where abutrnent 72 of link 62 was engaged with stop pin 68 to the position shown in FIG. 4 wherein the opposite abutment 70 moves into engagement with pin 68.

Movement of the chair from the semi-reclined position shown in FIG. 4 to the fully reclined position of FIG. 7 causes the compound link defined by links 48, 60 and 62 to act in an entirely different manner. As the chair moves away from the semi-reclined position of FIG. 4, link 62 cannot move about its pivot 66 because the stretching action applied to tension spring 74 by further tilting movement of seat link 24 firmly maintains link 62 with its abutment 70 in firm engagement with stop pin 68. Hence, the fixed or stationary pivot of the compound link system which includes links 48, 60 and 62 is, in effect, transferred from pivot 66 to pivot 64-. Upward movement of the forward end of seat link 24 from the semi-reclined position causes links 48 and 60 to separate or pivot relative to each other about pivot 50 so that link 60 no longer acts as a rigid portion of link 48, but acts instead as a guide link controlling and guiding the path of movement of pivot 50 relative to the fixed portions of the fixture. The are of movement of pivot 50 about pivot 64 is such that further relative pivotal movement of link 48' about pivot 52 is minimized. Because of the geometrical relationship, a slight amount of relative pivotal movement of link 48 about pivot 52 does occur, however this is only a very slight movement and in effect, the leg rest is maintained in substantially the same leg supporting relationship with the chair sea-t throughout the range of movement of the fixture between the semi-reclined position of FIG. 4 and the fully reclined position of FIG. 7. It will be noted that the linkage connections are such that when support link 48 moves about pivot 52 on the forward end of seat link 24, the leg rest must move relative to the chair seat.

In the fully reclined position, flange 82 on link' 60 is seated within notch 84 on guide link 36.

Upon return movement of the seat from its fully reclined position toward its normal position, actuating link 62 maintains its same position with respect to base link 28 until the chair reaches its semi-reclined position. At this time, flange 88 on abutment 78 moves into engagement with link 6% and links 48 and 60 act as a single rigid link during return movement down to the normal position of the fixture. Eifectively, during elevating movement from the normal position to the semi-reclined position, flange 8% acts as a driving abutment transmitting movement of link 68 to link 48. During downward movement through this range, the driving movement is transmitted in the opposite direction from link 48 to link 60. The driving movement transmitted to link 60 during the downward movement acts to pivot link 62 off stop 70 and to locate stop 72 in engagement with stop pin 68 when the fixture returns to its normal position.

While I have described one embodiment of my invention, it Will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the disclosed embodiment may be modified. Therefore, the foregoing description is to be considered exemplary rather than limiting, and the true scope of the invention is that defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a reclining chair having a seat mounted for pivotal movement upon a base between an upright position, a semi-reclined position, and a fully reclined position, and a leg rest; a fixture for locating said leg rest in a retracted position when said seat is in said upright position and in extended leg supporting relationship with said seat when said seat is in either of said reclined positions, said fixture comprising a base link for attachment to said base, a seat link for attachment to said seat and connected to said base link by a fixed pivot about which said seat is movable relative to said base, a support link pivoted on the forward end of said seat link, pivoted link means inter-connecting said support link to said leg rest and to said base link to locate said support link in a first angular relationship with said seat link when said leg rest is retracted and in a second angular relationship with said seat link when said leg rest is in leg supporting relationship with said seat, an actuating link mounted on said base link for movement about a fixed pivot between first and second end limits, means coupling said actuating link to said support link to locate said actuating link at said first end limit when said support link is in said first angular relationship with said seat link and to locate said support link in said second angular relationship with said seat link when said actuating link is at said second end limit, said means coupling said actuating link to said support link comprising a control link connected :at one end to said support link by a first pivot and connected at its other end to said actuating link by a second pivot, and abutment means engageable between said support link and said control link to prevent pivotal movement of said control link and said support link relative to each other during movement of said actuating link between said first and said second end limits, and means coupled to said seat link for shifting said actuating link from said first end limit to said second end limit upon movement of said seat from said normal position to said semi-reclined position and maintaining said actuating link at said second end limit during movement of said seat between said reclined positions.

2. In a reclining chair having a seat mounted for pivotal movement upon a base between an upright position, a semi-reclined position, and a fully reclined position, and a leg rest; a fixture for locating said leg rest in a retracted position when said seat is in said upright position and in extended leg supporting relationship with said seat when said seat is in either of said reclined positions, said fixture comprising a base link for attachment to said base, a seat link for attachment to said seat and connected to said base link by a fixed pivot about which said seat is movable relative to said base, a support link pivoted on the forward end of said seat link, pivoted link means inter-connecting said support link to said leg rest and to said base link to locate said support link in a first angular relationship with said seat link when said leg rest is retracted in a second angular relationship with said seat link when said leg rest is in leg supporting relationship with said seat, an actuating link mounted on said base link for movement about a fixed pivot between first and second end limits, means coupling said actuating link to said support link to locate said actuating link at said first end limit when said support link is in said first angular relationship with said seat link and to locate said support link in said second angular relationship with said seat link when said actuating link is at said second end limit, and a spring coupled in tension between said actuating link and said seat link resiliently biasing said actuating link toward said second end limit to shift said actuating link from said first end limit to said second end limit upon movement of said seat from said normal position to said semi-reclined position and to maintain said actuating link at said second end limit during movement of said seat between said reclined positions.

3. A fixture as defined in claim 2 wherein said control link is pivoted rover center of the fixed pivot connecting said actuating link to said base link during movement of said actuating link between said first and said second end limits, said spring being connected to said actuating member at a location such that the maximum extension of said spring during movement of said seat between said upright position and said semi-reclined position occurs as said control link passes over center of said fixed pivot, whereby said actuating link is resiliently urged to drive said support link into said second angular relationship to said seat link.

4. In a reclining chair having a stationary base, a rigid seat and back unit, and a leg rest; a fixture for supporting said seat and back unit and said leg rest upon said base for coordinated movement comprising a base frame link for attachment to said base, a seat frame link for attachment to said seat and back unit, a main pivot supporting said seat frame link upon said base frame link to support said seat and back unit on said base for movement about said main pivot between a normal upright position, a semi-reclined position, and a fully reclined position, linkage means including a plurality of links pivotally interconnected between said frame links and said leg rest to locate said leg rest in a retracted position when said seat and back unit is in said normal position and to locate said leg rest in a forwardly projected leg supporting relationship with said seat and back unit when said seat and back unit is in either of said reclined positions, one of said linkage means being connected at one end by a first pivot to the forward end of said seat frame link and connected in said linkage means to be located in 'a first pivotal relationship to said seat frame link when said leg rest is in said retracted position and to be located in a second pivotal relationship to said seat frame link when said leg rest is in said leg supporting relationship with said seat and back unit, actuating link means connected in said linkage means and including an actuating link pivoted on one of said frame links, means operable by movement of said seat and back unit from said normal position to said semireclined position to pivot said actuating link to drive said one link about said first pivot from said first pivotal relationship to said seat link to said second pivotal relationship, means for locking said actuating link to said one of said frame links during movement of said seat and back unit between said semi-reclined position and said fully reclined position, and a link in said actuating link means pivoted at one end to said actuating link and at its other end to said one link to guide said one link to maintain said leg rest in leg supporting relationship with said seat and back unit during movement of said seat and back unit between said semi-reclined position and said fully reclined position.

5. In a reclining chair having a seat mounted for pivotal movement upon a base between an upright position, a semi-reclined position, and a fully reclined position, and a leg rest; a fixture for locating said leg rest in a retracted position when said seat is in said upright position and in extended leg supporting relationship with said seat when said seat is in either of said reclined positions, said fixture comprising a base link adapted to be fixedly attached to said base, a seat link adapted to be fixedly attached to said seat for movement therewith and connected to said base link by a fixed pivot about which said seat is movable relative to said base, linkage means interconnecting said base link, said seat link and said leg rest to position said leg rest relative to said seat in accordance with the position of said seat relative to said base and comprising a compound link connected to a first pivot on the forward end of said seat link and to a second pivot on the forward end' of said base link, said compound link including a first link connected at one end to said first pivot to control and guide movement of said leg rest relative to said seat and a second link connected to said second pivot to control and guide movement of said first link, means coupling said first link to said second link to shift said first link about said first pivot to move said leg rest toward leg supporting relationship with said seat when said second link is moved in a first direction about said second pivot and to move said leg rest toward said retracted position when said second link is moved in the opposite direction about said second pivot, constraining means in said linkage means coupled to said compound link to swing said second link in said first direction about said second pivot when said seat is moved from said normal position to said semireclined position and toswing said second link in the opposite direction about said second pivot when said seat is moved from said semi-reclined position to said normal position, and blocking means for maintaining said second link stationary during movement of said seat between said semi-reclined position and said fully reclined position, said coupling means being movable relative to said first and said second links during movement of said seat between said semi-reclined position and said fully reclined position to minimize movement of said first link about said first pivot and thereby maintain said leg rest in a substantially fixed leg supporting relationship with said seat during movement of said seat between said reclined positions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,918,109 Schliephacke Dec. 22, 1959 2,918,113 Lorenz Dec. 22, 1959 2,940,509 Fletcher June 14, 1960 2,948,331 Schliephacke Aug. 9, 1960 2,974,720 Jelinek Mar. 14, 1961 

1. IN A RECLINING CHAIR HAVING A SEAT MOUNTED FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT UPON A BASE BETWEEN AN UPRIGHT POSITION, A SEM-RECLINED POSITION, AND A FULLY RECLINED POSITION, AND A LEG REST; A FIXTURE FOR LOCATING SAID LEG REST IN A RETRACTED POSITION WHEN SAID SEAT IS IN SAID UPRIGHT POSITION AND IN EXTENDED LEG SUPPORTING RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID SEAT WHENS SAID SEAT IS IN EITHER OF SAID RECLINED POSITIONS, SAID FIXTURE COMPRISING A BASE LINK FOR ATTACHMENT TO SAID BASE, A SEAT LINK FOR ATTACHMENT TO SAID SEAT AND CONNECTED TO SAID BASE LINK BY A FIXED PIVOT ABOUT WHICH SAID SEAT IS MOVABLE RELATIVE TO SAID BASE, A SUPPORT LINK PIVOTED ON THE FORWARD END OF SAID SEAT LINK, PIVOTED LINK MEANS INTER-CONNECTING SAID SUPPORT LINK TO SAID LEG REST AND TO SAID BASE LINK TO LOCATE SAID SUPPORT LINK IN A FIRST ANGULAR RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID SEAT LINK WHEN SAID LEG REST IS RETRACTED AND IN A SECOND ANGULAR RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID SEAT LINK WHEN SAID LEG REST IS IN LEG SUPPORTING RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID SEAT, AN ACTUATING LINK MOUNTED ON SAID BASE LINK FOR MOVEMENT ABOUT A FIXED PIVOT BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND END LIMITS, MEANS COUPLING SAID ACTUATING LINK TO SAID SUPPORT LINK TO LOCATE SAID ACTUATING LINK AT SAID FIRST END LIMIT WHEN SAID SUPPORT LINK IS IN FIRST ANGULAR RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID SEAT LINK AND TO LOCATE SAID SUPPORT LINK IN SAID SECOND ANGULAR RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID SEAT LINK WHEN SAID ACTUATING LINK IS AT SAID SECOND END LIMIT, SAID MEANS COUPLING SAID ACTUATING LINK TO SAID SUPPORT LINK COMPRISING A CONTROL LINK CONNECTED AT ONE END OF SAID SUPPORT LINK BY A FIRST PIVOT AND CONNECTED AT ITS OTHER END TO SAID ACTUATING LINK BY A SECOND PIVOT, AND ABUTMENT MEANS ENGAGEABLE BETWEEN SAID SUPPORT LINK AND SAID CONTROL LINK TO PREVENT PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID CONTROL LINK AND SAID SUPPORT LINK RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER DURING MOVEMENT OF SAID ACTUATING LINK BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SAID SECOND END LIMITS, AND MEANS COUPLED TO SAID SEAT LINK FOR SHIFTING SAID ACTUATING LINK FROM SAID FIRST END LIMIT TO SAID SECOND END LIMIT UPON MOVEMENT OF SAID SEAT FROM SAID NORMAL POSITION TO SAID SEMI-RECLINED POSITION AND MAINTAINING SAID ACTUATING LINK AT SAID SECOND END LIMIT DURING MOVEMENT OF SAID SEAT BETWEEN SAID RECLINED POSITIONS. 